


When Two Worlds Collide

by littlecupcake



Category: Elyza Lex (Fanverse), Fear the Walking Dead (TV), The 100 (TV)
Genre: 50 shades of gay for this shit, Angst, But mostly fluff, Crossover, F/F, Fluff, I Don't Even Know, Jus drein jus daun Rottenburger, Lexark is real, Reincarnation, Soulmates, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-24
Updated: 2016-04-23
Packaged: 2018-05-28 19:35:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6342265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlecupcake/pseuds/littlecupcake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Death is not the end, and ironically, that seems to be a global crisis right now.</p><p>  <strong>*cue zombie noises*</strong></p><p>Reunited in this new life, Alicia and Elyza seek to take down the usual apocalyptic obstacles, including but not limited to: flesh-eating corpses, overprotective mothers and ghosts from the past. </p><p>OR</p><p>Alicia is in her usual bored, grumpy, morning mood.<br/>Elyza is chased by walkers.<br/>Stuff happens.</p><p>
  <b>
    <i>clearly on hiatus since forever; sorry, guys</i>
  </b>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Leap of Fate

**Author's Note:**

> As many others in the fandom, I still haven't gotten over The Episode Which Shall Not Be Named. Lexa's fight is our fight. And our fight is far from over.
> 
> I've never written any fanfiction before, but after the shenanigans of T100, I just had to. So feel free to share your thoughts on this. Drop a kudo/drop a comment/drop a dropship on a tv producer's head.
> 
> Most of all, have fun reading!

Alicia lets out a heavy sigh as she climbs onto the roof of the place she and her family have made into their home for the time being. She walks a few steps before unhooking her sword belt. Alicia briefly smiles to herself.

Her thoughts drift back to last week, when Travis and Chris barged through the doors dragging a gym bag behind them.

_"We found some cool stuff" Chris excitedly exclaimed while unzipping it. The bag was full of swords. Apparently, Travis and his son had come across a specialty antics store during their supply run._

 _Since it was only a few blocks away, they decided to fill their bags with as many of the heavy weapons as they could fit in._

_Alicia had immediately fished out a belt holding not one, but two swords. Madison wasn't having any of it._

 _"Don't even think about it, young lady! You don't know how to use those things, you're going to get yourself killed!"_

 _

Alicia just rolled her eyes and strapped the belt to her body, ignoring her mother's objections.

_

_Chris was the only one standing close to Alicia, so she hissed at him to move aside. Her words paired with her unimpressed expression made him take a few big steps back._

_Alicia proceeded to unsheathe the two swords simultaneously, expertly spinning them a few times. She then sheathed the swords again in one fluid motion, never even blinking. The teenager made it look so simple, it was as if she had practiced with swords all her life. The room went silent._

_Nick was the first one to clear his throat and speak up._

_"Just... Don't do that indoors again. Like ever"._

_The left corner of Alicia's mouth lifted into half a smile. If only they knew._

Alicia's mind soon returns to the present as she moves to carefully let her legs dangle over the edge of the building.

"You're up early", comes a voice from behind. A few seconds later, Alicia watches her brother sit down beside her.

"Well, sorry that the apocalypse is interfering with my biological clock" she sarcastically retorts, rolling her eyes again. It's starting to become a habitual thing, but people are just _so_ annoying.

Nick doesn't bother replying. He knows better than to attempt any sort of conversation when Alicia's in a bad mood. And he'll never admit it, but he's still a little freaked out by the aptitude his sister seems to have for sword wielding.

The two sit in silence, the only sound coming from the older Clark fiddling with the pistol in his hands. It's his way of keeping his mind off of things. When the end of the world is in full swing, being a drug addict isn't the most ideal thing.

The minutes pass, and the sun was slowly rising to paint the sky different shades of pink. Alicia finds herself enjoying the calm of this early morning. It nearly feels like before.

But of course that doesn't last long.

Gunshots ring in the distance. Both Nick and Alicia instinctively crane their necks in the direction the sounds had come from.

Nick tightens his hold on the pistol, while Alicia gets to her feet and quickly reattaches her sword belt to her waist. Over the past few months they have come to learn that in this hellhole of a world, the living are even more of a threat than the dead.

As if on cue, the sounds of more shots fill the air. Nick's eyes widen.

"That has to be the biggest horde of walkers I've ever seen", he whispers incredulously and as Alicia turns to follow his gaze, she sees it too.

"Holy fuck, there are about three dozen of them!"

The group of rotting corpses is slowly shuffling closer to their home base. But then something -or rather _someone_ \- catches her eye. A blonde figure is running along the streets, away from the walkers, past the building the Clark siblings are perched atop. That explains the gunshots.

Alicia takes in a sharp breath, eyes trained on the end of the alley further down the road. She squints.

"She's moving towards a dead end".

"Not much we can do now. It's too dangerous" Nick replies with a shrug of his shoulders.

Despite the truth behind his statement, for some unknown reason, Alicia's senses are screaming at her to go save the girl.  
Within a few seconds a look of determination sweeps across her face. Nick notices, and his eyes widen even further.

"Alicia, don't do anything stupid. Mom will kill you. If you're not already dead by then. You need to stay here."

"Like hell I do", Alicia sneers.

And just like that, she's already taken off sprinting and jumping across rooftops to get to the blonde girl.  
____

 _This is it_ , Elyza thinks. In her haste she didn't notice she was running down a dead-end street.  
_Just her luck._

Now her back is pressed up against a cold brick wall, while she unsuccessfully tries to steady her breathing.  
Elyza tries to comfort herself: _At least I'll be the hottest zombie around._

Unsurprisingly, it does not work.

There still is a good distance between her and the group of undead, but one walker in particular doesn't seem to realize how **dead** he actually is. The thing is practically running towards her.

_How does that even work?_

And then she sees the shirt the zombie is wearing, "The Color Run" printed across the front in rainbow letters. Of course Elyza Lex is going to be eaten by a _running freak_.

The zombie holds out its arms, jaws snapping and ready to pounce as it comes closer and closer.

Elyza mentally curses herself.

_Should've brought more fucking ammo._

The walker is now inches away, and Elyza's nostrils are starting to fill with the overwhelming smell of death.

The zombie opens its mouth, black liquid dripping from it. In response, Elyza just shakes her head slightly.

"Bad breath is a turn off, you know?", she says to no one in particular.

Then, all of a sudden, the walker falls to the ground. Strange, but Elyza isn't complaining.

"Giving drop dead gorgeous a whole new meaning" she mumbles as she crouches down to take a closer look.

A shiny hilt protrudes from the top of the walker's mushy skull.

_What in the world...?_

Before she can process her thoughts any further, Elyza sees the shadow of someone standing over her. She knows that this person could pose a danger to her well-being, but there is no more energy left in her to make a dash.

Instead, she tries standing up, which she immediately regrets, as it brings about a wave of nausea.

"Hey... It's ok, you're safe."

At the sound of a girl's voice, Elyza jerks her head up so fast, it could've killed her. Big eyes are looking down at her.

 _Those eyes..._ They remind Elyza of forests from a different time, and right now, they're filled with worry.

That's when Elyza collapses.  
____

 _Wow. I really should've taken PE more seriously_ , Alicia mentally notes as she bends forward to catch her breath.

She is standing on the roof of a building adjacent to the alley the other girl ran into. From there, Alicia sees a walker who is way ahead of its group, effectively trapping the blonde as she hits the dead end.

Without thinking, Alicia pulls out a knife from under her shirt, aiming and flinging it at the walker. It hits the thing square in the head.

 _Bullseye_.

The brunette quickly lowers herself to the ground, sliding down a rain pipe like a fireman.

Alicia makes her way towards the girl, who is crouched, breathing unsteady. She instinctively tries to comfort the girl, telling her she's safe (conveniently ignoring the giant group of walkers heading their way, because _details_ ).

At this the girl looks up so fast, for a second Alicia is scared her neck will snap.

And then eyes bluer than the sky are staring up at her. Alicia freezes.

_It couldn't be._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew. So that's that.
> 
> Now what? *cue drum roll*


	2. And So We Meet Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And then my soul saw you and it kind of went, "Oh there you are, I've been looking for you."
> 
>  
> 
> -Iain Thomas, I Wrote This For You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clexa won the Zimbio poll, which again illustrates the impact we have as a fandom. 
> 
> Here's to hoping this is a start of something better for the treatment of the LBGT community in television. We deserve better than _that_.
> 
> Back to the story: I'm really busy with revising for exams, but I needed to post this, because Clexa won, and love should always win, and I'm an emotional mess.
> 
> So here you go :) Again, feel free to share your thoughts.

Mustering all the strength she has left in her body, Elyza looks up again. The worry in the big eyes has been replaced by a blank stare.

An unreadable mask has fallen over the beautiful face in front of her. A mask so practiced, most people would have missed the conflicted look that preceded it.

But Elyza isn't most people.

She quickly shifts her gaze towards the horde of walkers shuffling down the alley, and then back to green, distant orbs.  
Obviously, something has caused the sudden change in demeanor.

There isn't much time, and Elyza's heart is hammering in her throat. She knows she's taking a huge risk in what she's about to say. Her options are limited, so she goes for it anyway.

All she can do is raise her eyebrows and hope for the best, while trying to keep her voice level as she speaks.

"You should've left me behind. Now two will die here instead of one."

She watches closely for a change in expression, that can give any thoughts away.

What happens is a series of facial contortions, as the girl goes through a string of emotions. First confusion, then disbelief, followed closely by anger at the ingratitude.

But then an altogether different look washes over her features, rendering her eyes wide and mouth agape.

As Elyza expected though, the girl quickly recovers.

"When someone _saves your life_ , my people say thank you."

The words come out measured, like she can't really believe she's actually saying them. But they're all the confirmation Elyza needs.

"Lexa?"

The question has barely left her lips, and she's already being knocked down. The force makes her back connect with the wall.

Before Elyza can ask _what the hell is going on_ , she feels warm arms wrap around her neck.

The green-eyed girl pulls back a little, clears her throat, and then proceeds to lift her head in feigned haughtiness.

"Alicia, actually. Alicia Clark."

Elyza grins.

"I really like your last name, Alicia. Elyza Lex, by the way. Pleased to meet you."

Alicia stands and offers her a hand, but instead of taking the outstretched hand, Elyza grabs the brunette's forearm.

Once Elyza is pulled to her feet, the corners of Alicia's mouth lift into a small smile

"So we meet _again_."

Their moment is interrupted by the noise of gargles and moans. Elyza sighs.

"You know I'd want nothing more than to catch up with you, but we have to act now if we don't want to end up as monster food."

It reminds Alicia of the first time they were running for their life together, but she quickly snaps out of it.

"Right. So, how good are you with a sword?"

Elyza winks. "I guess we're about to find out."

Alicia rolls her eyes, and throws Elyza one of her swords anyway. Now is not an appropriate time for jokes. 

The blonde catches the sword with ease, and grins while nodding towards the horde.

"I was just kidding. Betcha I can take out more of them than you can."

Alicia narrows her eyes. The girl still knows how to use a sword. And she still has the big mouth to go with it.

"Challenge accepted."

What follows is a scream that can only be categorized as a battle cry.

"What the fuck are you doing?! That will only attract more walkers!"

The blonde shrugs in response.

"Might as well clear the area out."

And with that, both girls raise their weapons and charge at the zombies.  
____

Nick watches the whole scene unfold before him from the roof Alicia jumped off a few minutes ago.

His sister is kneeling down, embracing the girl she saved.

In the time he stopped to ponder that, the girls have gotten back on their feet. Each is holding a sword.

The scream that rips through the air next, startles Nick so much he nearly falls off the roof.

Then both his sister and the blonde are running towards the walkers.

Nick bites his nails. He's already mentally going through the worst-case scenario, in which he has to explain to everyone why Alicia has turned into a flesh-eating zombie.

Maybe he should spare himself the agony of mom's wrath and just jump after Alicia, into the sea of walkers.

But upon further inspection, that doesn't seem necessary after all. He can't believe his eyes.

Alicia, _his little sister_ , is moving from left to right and back again, slashing through mushy brains as she goes. Her brows are furrowed in sheer concentration, like she has prepared for this moment her entire life.

The blonde mystery girl is doing the exact same. Slicing and stabbing at walker skulls with a deadly accuracy. The only difference between her and Alicia is the big smirk plastered on her face.

They're making it look easier than it should be, and they don't seem to be fazed by the whole situation. Almost like it's _a game_.

Nick shivers at the thought.  
____

All in all, it takes about 10 minutes to eliminate the zombies. Their lifeless bodies are strewn across the street in a haphazard fashion.

Alicia walks towards the lone walker still standing. It is completely oblivious to its friends' demise.

Before Alicia reaches the zombie, she suddenly ducks, as a knife flies from behind and plunges between the thing's eyes. It drops to the ground like a sack of very expired potatoes.

Nick is surprised to see his sister is livid. She has turned in the direction the knife came from, and is wildly gesturing at the lifeless hump that once was a person.

He follows Alicia's angry stare to see the blonde girl putting down her sword and apologetically lifting her hands up. The smile on her face tells Nick she's not sorry at all.

So it _was_ a game.  
____

"Oh, come on. After saving your ass, the least you could do was to give me the honor of the last kill!"

Elyza laughs at the sulking.  
"But you were taking too long. I got bored watching it. Don't be a grouch."

While speaking, Elyza moves towards the walker she took down, and retrieves the knife from its head.

She then turns around to leisurely stroll back until she is standing in front of Alicia, holding out the knife to the baffled girl.

"I believe this is yours?"

Alicia takes the knife, and leans forward to wipe the rotten walker blood off on Elyza's shirt.

It earns her an indignant squeal.

"Oh my God, Alicia! Fuck you! That was so _rude_."

Alicia attempts a nonchalant shrug, but she too fails to hide her smile.

"Serves you right for taking my kill. It's not like you can tell, anyway. Your clothes are all black."

Elyza isn't smiling anymore, and Alicia is about to ask her _who is the grouch now_.

Before she can open her mouth though, Elyza speaks up. Her tone has lost its playfulness.

"Your leg."

Elyza's voice is strained and Alicia is confused at first because, as far as she knows, there's absolutely nothing wrong with either of her legs.

That is until she sees the gash on her left shin.

The skin is torn open, a bloody trail seeping down the huge wound. Her left sneaker is coated in red, and the area of the stain continues to grow.

The adrenaline of the fight having worn off, Alicia now notices the sting, but she looks back up and tries to play it off.

"Our house isn't too far from here, I'll be fine."

The blonde doesn't look convinced.

"I've got med supplies in my backpack" she mumbles, avoiding eye contact.

When there's no reply, Elyza follows up with a whisper of "I can fix it"

It comes out so pained, it's nearly as if she is the one who's bleeding.  
The words stun Alicia into further silence. 

A wave of vivid memories comes crashing in, flooding her brain and blurring her vision. She peers into blue, pleading eyes and forces herself to speak.

"I know you will."

There is a mutual understanding between the two, knowing there is a much deeper meaning behind the words, that only they can comprehend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you may have noticed, Elyza and Alicia both remember their past lives as Clarke and Lexa, and most importantly they remember each other. I didn't go with the one-remembers-but-the-other-doesn't shenanigans, because I'm not about that angst life.  
> To me, their connection is so powerful, neither of them could ever forget. So there it is.


	3. Take Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Take a breath and listen_  
>  _Open up, stop wishing_  
>  _All that you've been missing_  
>  _Standing in front of you_  
>     
> Elyza 'meets' Alicia's family, and stuff goes down. To leave or not to leave, that's the question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At this point in time, I am completely and utterly done with the mess that is T1OO. Jason Rothenberg is digging himself into a deeper hole with every episode.
> 
> Lincoln will live on in our hearts, just as Lexa does. We're all in it together. ***raises sword***
> 
> Back to this thing: Hope you enjoy it, and again, feel free to send me any kind of feedback or rant on why you hate JRot.
> 
> And of course, thank you for reading!

Alicia manages to lead Elyza to her family's house without encountering more walkers. She unlocks the door and limps towards the couch in the middle of the living room.

On the way, the girls made small talk about their lives. This lead Elyza to learn that Alicia's little 'family' consisted of her, her mother and older brother, her mother's boyfriend and his son.

Alicia points Elyza to the small kitchen area for her to wash her hands.

After that they continue their conversation with lowered voices, so as to not wake up the rest of the household.

Unbeknownst to them, Nick is standing at the bottom of the staircase at the other end of the room, his presence hidden behind a wall. From here, he listens intently.

"So what were you doing before the end of the world happened?"

Alicia is genuinely curious, since they are about the same age right now.

"Med school, since you know, I kind of like fixing things. Making the world a better place, just the usual stuff", Elyza jokes.

She cracks a small smile while sitting down next to Alicia and sliding her backpack off.

Alicia smiles too at the idea of Elyza becoming a doctor. She could've known.

Elyza has moved to root around in her backpack, but stops to nudge Alicia and throw the question back at her.

"How about you?"

Alicia bites her bottom lip. Her life wasn't too bad either, before all hell broke loose.

"Got accepted into Berkeley. Political science..."

She briefly pauses.

"...making the world a better place, just the usual stuff."

Elyza's smile turns into a grin now. She should've known.

Her voice softens as she pulls Alicia's injured leg up onto her lap.

"I guess some things never change."

She presses a cloth drenched in alcohol to Alicia's leg, wanting to clean out the wound before bandaging it.

This elicits a high-pitched yelp from the girl.

Elyza pauses to glance questioningly at the brunette as if to ask, " _Are you serious?_ "

Alicia's cheeks turn pink.

"You just caught me by surprise."

Elyza doesn't think that to be true, but she moves her hand to continue the procedure anyway.

Another yelp ensues. When Elyza looks up, she sees Alicia is now full-on blushing.

"Okay, okay. Maybe my pain tolerance hasn't gotten a chance to be upped yet."

Elyza knowingly smiles, and makes a mental note to be very gentle.

____

Just as she finishes securing the bandage, the living room suddenly fills with -to Elyza- unfamiliar voices.

"What is the meaning of this? Who are you?"

The question comes from a middle-aged woman with blonde hair. She has her arms crossed over her chest, and doesn't seem too pleased.

Elyza quickly rises to her feet, walking towards the small group of people that has gathered downstairs.

"You must be Mrs. Clark. I'm Elyza. I kind of owe my life to your daughter."

Elyza extends her hand, but Mrs. Clark doesn't shake it. The woman looks at Elyza like she's a nuisance that needs to be gotten rid of.

So much for a warm welcome. 

Instead, the man standing next to her clears his throat. He has dark curly hair and brown eyes filled with curiosity.

"Hello, Elyza. I'm Travis. This is Madison."

He places a hand on Madison's shoulder and Elyza redirects her outstretched arm to Travis. He uses his free hand to shake Elyza's firmly.

There are two boys standing next to him. The older one's features slightly resemble Alicia's, so she's guessing that must be her brother Nick. That means the younger one is Travis' son, Chris.

Chris looks over to where Alicia is seated.

"Alicia, what happened to your leg? And your shoe's covered in blood. Gross"

 _Thanks, Captain Obvious._ Elyza has already taken a dislike to him.

Madison Clark shifts her attention to the couch, and only gets more infuriated.

"Alicia, you're hurt!"

In her panic, Elyza decides to say something, which turns out to be one of the worst decisions she's ever made.

"Ah, don't sweat it, Mrs. Clark. _Commander hot pants_ here thought it was a good idea to tackle a walker by sliding across asphalt. It'll heal soon."

She immediately regrets this the moment it leaves her mouth and mentally facepalms. Jokes are the worst defense mechanism ever.

Madison remains unimpressed.

"You did **WHAT**?"

Alicia dramatically sighs. Why can't her family _not_ overreact for once?

"Mom, I am fine! Stop worrying about me so much, I'm not a _child_ anymore."

"No, you are far from fine."

Alicia's mom turns to face Elyza now, for the first time addressing her since asking for her name.

"You, are a danger to Alicia's well-being, and I don't know who you are, but it's best if you leave before worse things happen."

Alicia nearly chokes and stands up at lightning speed. She momentarily winces at the pain shooting through her left shin, before gritting her teeth and facing her mom.

"Alicia can speak for herself."

Her mom glares harder, her anger now directed at her daughter too.

"I will decide that."

Before the argument can escalate, Elyza quickly walks over to Alicia to defuse the situation.

"Hey, it's ok. I'll be going soon. Listen to your mom. And sit back down, I don't want you straining your leg."

Alicia internally debates her next move and chooses to sit down reluctantly. There are more important matters at hand.

"You're not going anywhere, Elyza."

As always, neither of the two is willing to give in. Elyza decides that she won't be the one to budge first now.

"I have to. Your mom thinks I'm putting you in danger. Maybe she's right. Either way, I can't let you get hurt again because of me..."

Elyza's voice is laced with regret, but it still is like a slap to Alicia's face.

Madison Clark though, is nodding in silent approval of Elyza's words.

But Alicia knows what Elyza actually meant to convey was "I can't watch you die again because of me"

To hell with it though.

"No. I can't watch you choose to leave me again."

"Alicia" Elyza tries, while crouching down in front of the couch to tilt Alicia's chin up slightly to face her.

Alicia jerks away from the touch.

"You were the one who taught me having _feelings_ doesn't make you weak, but running away from them does."

Elyza sighs. She's been running on no sleep for the past few nights, causing heavy bags to form under her eyes. She has no energy for all this.

"But-"

Headstrong as she is, Alicia refuses to relent. Her green eyes are on fire as she inhales sharply, trying her best not to launch a knife at something.

The lightbulb hanging from the ceiling is a tempting target.

Smug looking Chris too. 

But she knows that won't make her feel better nor help her cause.

So she does what she does best and uses her years of experience as public speaker, playing the emotional card.

It's going to sting, but that's exactly what she needs it to do.

" _Maybe someday_. Do you still remember that? Because I remember what you said about _maybe someday_."

Elyza remembers.

Her memory drifts off to a different time and place.  
____

Everything is slightly blurred, but she can still make out the early evening's sun rays gently pouring through the windows, illuminating the big room. 

_The peaceful scene is in stark contrast with the tentative steps she's taking, the tension in the air so palpable she's having difficulty breathing._

_And then there's the vague outlines of a young woman standing a few feet away. Her long, dark hair cascades down her shoulders._

Elyza's vision clears as her mind shifts to a memory so vivid, it's like it happened only yesterday. 

_"Maybe someday, you and I will owe nothing more to our people."_

_That small maybe is all Clarke can offer Lexa right now. It is a long shot, and they know it._

_Clarke and Lexa know they would sacrifice anything for their people. They know they would always have to put their people's needs before their own desires._

_The chants of Jus drein jus daun hang in the air, suffocating them like acid fog._

_They are stuck on opposite ends of a battlefield, desperate to stop a war that stems from hate._

_"I hope so."_

_Clarke didn't expect to hear the whispered reply. Lexa didn't expect to say it either. But she knows she means it._

_Hope used to be a privilege Lexa wouldn't allow herself to indulge in. As the commander, she has seen and experienced so much loss. So much despair and pain._

_That was until she met Clarke. The first time she stared into those blue eyes, she noticed the small spark of hope._

_And as they spent more time together, it was the quality in Clarke that Lexa secretly came to admire the most. She eventually caught herself harboring the same feeling._

_And Lexa has to hold on to that tiny sliver now. Because in a few moments, it will be the only thing left to remind her of Clarke._

_Clarke, with her eyes blue like the sky she descended from._

_Clarke, who has crashed and burned her way into Lexa's guarded heart._

_Like a falling star of which the smoky trail will never fade._

_And Lexa will continue to look up at the sky, forever thankful for getting the chance to know Clarke._

_"May we meet again."_

Everything goes black, for the rest of this memory symbolized something that was to be brutally ripped away from them.

Even now, a subconscious rerun of the events in her mind is too painful to go through.  
____

"I remember"

Tears are silently streaming down Elyza's face as she recalls one of the last conversations she had with the woman she loved in her previous life.

The woman who is now the girl sitting in front of Elyza, fiercely burning a hole in the back of her skull with the intensity of her gaze.

"Then don't you see it, _Klark_? That day is today. Right now, we owe nothing more to our people."

It is a breathless whisper, so only Elyza hears. The blonde notices how Alicia just called her by her previous name.

She can't help it when she mirrors the gesture, and the Commander's name tumbles off her lips of its own accord.

" _Lexa..._ "

Alicia's anger seems to dissipate immediately and Elyza notices Alicia's tears.

Alicia is crying for what they weren't allowed to have, in realization of the fact they finally have a shot at being together now.

She won't make the same mistake of letting her go this time. She'll fight for what's in her heart.

_Even if the stupid idiot in front of her won't._

" _Beja_."

And then Elyza is on her knees, directly facing Alicia.

This time there is no coalition of 12 clans. This is no political move. And there are definitely no ulterior motives behind the decision.

Instead, there is a promise made from one soul to another. 

" _Sha_. I'll stay."

Silence fills the room as they hold on to each other's stare.

Madison, Travis, Nick and Chris couldn't make out most of what Alicia and Elyza were saying.

Still, they can tell they're witnessing something strangely intimate, between two girls who seemingly just met.

They watch on incredulously as the two interact, as if they are the only ones present. And it's true.

They do not know it, but in this little moment, Alicia and Elyza have become Lexa and Clarke again.

And to some extent, they will always be Lexa and Clarke, as if their past souls have moulded with their current.

But they don't have to be Heda and Wanheda anymore. And for that, they thank the universe.

In this life, as blue eyes lock on green ones, sky and ground are no longer at war with each other. There are no sides now, and their only loyalty is to themselves.  
____

The silence is broken by Alicia when she quirks an eyebrow, having undergone a sudden mood change.

Her eyes never leave her companion, but they are now shining with mirth. It is taking all of her willpower to suppress the upward pull of her lips.

Nevertheless, Alicia forces a neutral tone.

"I'll show you my room, and you can take a shower. It looks like you haven't washed your hair in _three months_."

Unadulterated laughter erupts from Elyza's throat, the cheeky reference not lost on her.

 _It isn't **that** bad_ , she thinks to herself.

And it's not like showering regularly has been her main focus since the start of Zombie Armageddon.

Before she can stage a protest, Alicia is off the couch, taking one of Elyza's hands into her own, simultaneously snatching Elyza's backpack off the floor.

She practically drags the blonde away from her family's blatantly shocked faces, up the stairs towards her room.

She'll deal with them later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This cringeworthy ahah. I just needed to write something in between my preparing for exams.
> 
> I've got a few ideas for the next chapter though, so please bear with me. And a very big thank you to everyone in general, for bothering to read this. You rock! :)


	4. Miscommunications

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Travis, Madison and Nick go on a supply run, leaving Alicia, Elyza and Chris to their own devices inside the house.
> 
> That's basically begging for trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always miss deadlines. Even my own, whoops. So here's a big filler chapter with an overload of fluff and teenage silliness. It's not too deep.
> 
> Feedback is always welcome!
> 
> And I can't believe this has over a 100 kudos now?! What what. Y'all are amazing, thank you!

Madison sits down on the couch, burying her face in her hands. As if trying to keep the family alive wasn't hard enough, they now have an added stomach to feed.

“Alicia doesn’t even know that girl, and she still risked her life to save her.”

Travis sits down next to Madison, putting an arm around her.

“Maybe she still feels guilty about leaving Matt to die. Saving and taking in a stranger could be her way of coping. Don't worry, we'll figure something out.”

He mentions Matt, but in doing so Travis is actually thinking of how he couldn’t save his ex-wife and had to kill her instead. He knows the feeling.

Nick moves to awkwardly shift his weight from one foot to another. He can’t help but think that Alicia making Elyza stay had nothing to do with Matt.

Nick was the only one to witness them taking down the Walkers. It seems to him that the way they moved was timed so well, it couldn’t have been their first time fighting together.

Which is incredibly strange, as Alicia was never really into any kind of sports, let alone fighting. 

Nick is also convinced he's never seen this Elyza girl before today. But the looks his sister was giving her were too intimate for it to be a first meeting.

So even though he's very confused, Nick feels the need to defend Alicia's decision, if only for all the shit she's gone through for him.

“I saw them. It was like they were having a blast, weren’t even trying. I think Elyza could be a helpful addition to the group.”

Chris hums in agreement.

“Safety in numbers, right? If she can fight, she could help go on supply runs too. We’re running out of food.”

He hopelessly gestures towards the near-empty cupboards in the kitchen.

And he won’t mention it, but he also thinks Elyza is pretty hot.

Travis slowly nods.

“We’ll go on a supply run later, though it’ll be best to let the two girls rest for now. If what Nick says is true, they’ve been through quite the ordeal.”

Madison lifts her head from her hands and sighs.

“I’ll come along. Chris, you stay here and make sure the new girl doesn’t stir up any trouble.”

Chris huffs in response.

“Why can’t Nick stay?”

Madison glares at Chris, but her words are more aimed at her son.

“Because I don’t trust him to protect Alicia.”

She then looks over to Travis, her voice softening.

“Could you go upstairs to tell her we’re going soon?”

Travis nods again. He understands that Alicia will be angry at her mother for a while, and will do anything to help ease the tension between the two.  
____

Upstairs, Alicia is sitting on the edge of her bed. There’s a bucket of water on the floor in front of her.

In her right hand she’s holding a wet cloth, and in her left her bloodied shoe. She’s silently removing the stain, with the soothing sound of running water coming from the bathroom.

Ten minutes earlier, Alicia had pointed Elyza to the drawers that held her clothes, and told the girl to pick whatever she wanted to wear, and that there should be some spare towels in the bathroom.

Elyza had shedded her dirty garments in the middle of the room, after which she rummaged around in the drawers for a bit, settling on jeans and a flannel similar to the one Alicia had tied around her middle.

She then proceeded to gleefully skip into the bathroom, yelling _“Thanks, Cupcake!!”_ before closing the door behind her.

The whole time, Elyza didn’t turn around, or she would’ve caught the red blush creeping onto Alicia’s cheeks at the sudden show of skin.

Alicia curses herself for acting like such a hormonal mess because of Elyza. She's becoming another Chris, which frankly is disgusting.

Just as she is about to push that thought out of her head, she's interrupted by a loud knock.

"Come in!!"

Alicia can hear her room door opening and closing, together with footsteps approaching her. She continues scrubbing at her Converse without looking up.

"I swear, Mom. If you make Elyza leave, I'm walking out that door with her."

When there's no immediate reply, Alicia rolls her eyes and drops her sneaker.

She opens her mouth to start another rant on why she is old enough to make her own decisions.

When she looks up though, she abruptly closes it again, rephrasing her words.

Instead of Madison, it's Travis standing near her bedpost.

"Yes, Travis?"

Travis smiles at the acknowledgment.

"Your mother told me to relay a message to you. We're leaving for a supply run in fifteen minutes to see if we can scavenge some edibles. You and your guest can rest up, because Chris is staying to guard the house."

Well, that wasn't exactly what she was expecting. But Alicia is still pissed.

"Elyza is currently showering, so I'll tell her when she's done. Is that all? If it is, you can also 'relay a message' to Mom saying _I'll_ decide when I need rest."

Travis' eyes flicker over to the pile of dirty clothes in the center of the room, and then back to Alicia.

"We should be back by noon. That's all."

He ignores the last part of her statement.

As Travis walks to the door and turns to leave, he looks back one more time.

"Your mother only wants the best for you."

Alicia has moved to place her shoe on the window sill so it will dry faster. She doesn't bother turning around before replying, choosing to focus her glare at the garden.

"It would help if she actually knows what is best for me first."

Travis nods to himself. It'll take a while, but the Clark ladies will eventually settle their differences, as always.

When she hears the door close, Alicia walks back to grab her iPod off the nightstand. She plugs in her earphones and lets herself fall onto the bed dramatically.

A few seconds later, above her music, Alicia hears the door swing open again. She rips her earphones out and all but shouts at the unwanted intruder.

"What do you want?!"

"I thought you were the one wanting me to take a shower?"

The tone is amused, and Alicia's eyes widen in shock. That's not Travis.

"I'm sorry. I thought you were Travis. Or Mom, for that matter."

Elyza chuckles.

"It's ok, I heard the whole exchange."

"You were eavesdropping?"

Elyza hums.

"I just thought it'd be better for all parties involved if I stayed in the bathroom a few minutes longer."

Alicia sits up and scrambles towards the foot of the bed.

Only now does she look at Elyza, and it makes her momentarily forget how to breathe.

Elyza picked a pair of gray faded skinny jeans from Alicia's stash of clothes in the drawers. They are giving off a much younger vibe than her own black leather pants. She looks like a different version of herself.

Elyza has paired the jeans with a light blue flannel, effectively making her hair shine and her eyes pop. The flannel's a bit tight on her, so she's left the top three buttons undone.

It's causing Alicia's attention to shift to someplace other than her eyes. _Oh._

"Like what you're seeing, 'Licia?"

Elyza has walked over to the bed, now towering over the other girl, who quickly snaps her head back up.

Instead of answering the question, Alicia pulls Elyza down onto the bed, until she's in Alicia's lap.

Elyza subconsciously licks her lips, and Alicia knows she is past the point of forming coherent sentences. Instead, she wastes no time in lunging forward, capturing Elyza's lips with her own.

The kiss starts off heated, fueled by a flame that never went out. They're clinging to each other with desperation, just to make sure this isn't all some dream they'll wake up from.

Once it is confirmed, the kiss transitions into something surprisingly gentle, this time filled with affection, like they have all the time in the world. And maybe they do this time.

After a few minutes, their movements become increasingly uncoordinated, as both girls struggle against the smile tugging at the corners of their lips. Finally.

When they pull back, Elyza is the first to say something, cocking her head to one side. Her eyes have a mischievous sparkle to them.

"You know, I've been wanting to do that since you came to save my sorry ass."

Alicia mirrors her expression, and adds a smirk.

"Your ass shouldn't be sorry. I'd say it's pretty sweet."

Elyza chuckles, and shakes her head.

"Was that your attempt at complimenting my ass?"

Alicia smiles widely.

"Depends. Did it work?"

"Alicia. That was so bad, you're lucky this is the zombie apocalypse or I might've just jumped out of your window", Elyza chastises.

"Hmm. You love me too much to even think about doing that."

Elyza's heart flutters at the words, but because she's _Elyza_ , all she does is suggestively wriggle her eyebrows.

"Maybe..."

And then she suddenly remembers something, poking Alicia's stomach to gain attention.

"Hey, later I'll need to get back to the house I've been staying at. All my supplies are still there."

The brunette's interest perks.

"Food?"

Elyza shakes her head.

"No. That's the whole reason I went out in the first place. I've got a load of weapons and ammunition though. I think your family might be interested. And my bike. My baby."

Alicia gets excited at the last bit.

"I have one too!"

"That's awesome! Wanna show me?"

Alicia pretends to think about it, before proposing her conditions.

"Only after you get some sleep."

Elyza disagreeingly lifts her head up high.

"Sleep is for the weak."

"Liar. You look like death."

The blonde indignantly huffs.

"Hey! I don't bite. Not like _that_ , anyway. And my breath doesn't smell."

She shudders, recalling the stench coming from the Walker that nearly managed to kill her.

Alicia rolls her eyes and Elyza gives in with a whine. She actually _is_ exhausted and would probably sleep like a baby, without having to fear for her life now she wasn't alone.

But she won't give in completely.

"Ok, ok. Only if you sleep too."

Alicia pouts.

"But I am not t-"

Her sentence is cut off when a big yawn emits from her throat. Elyza isn't impressed.

"I might be a liar, Alicia, but you're a hypocrite."

Alicia raises her eyebrows, but doesn't question the choice of words. 

"Alright. I'll join you, geesh. Just let me change into something more comfortable."

As she jumps off the bed to exchange her clothes for a long T-shirt, Elyza happily flings open the covers. She lies down under them and instantly allows her eyes to shut.

Alicia closes the curtains, and slowly gets into bed. From where she was changing, she could see Elyza's lidded eyes.

Thinking the blonde already passed out, she's extremely startled to feel something on her chest. Elyza has rolled over to lie completely on top of her. 

Alicia smiles and wraps her arms around the warm body against her.

"Sweet dreams", she mumbles quietly.

"None as sweet as you though."

The muffled response against Alicia's neck sends a wave of affection pulsing through her. Any earlier mirth or playfulness is absent in Elyza's tone, and she knows Elyza actually meant it.

The blonde girl falls asleep within seconds, her slow breaths in sync with Alicia's heartbeat.

Alicia places a gentle kiss to blonde hair, softly whispering. It's more to herself than to the sleeping figure on top of her.

"I knew I would find you..."

She too drifts into a peaceful slumber.  
____

After three hours, Elyza wakes up to a comfortable, _moving_ pillow.

Realizing her pillow is actually _human_ , Elyza mentally fist pumps. She'll never get tired of seeing this in the morning. After observing the sleeping girl for a little while, Elyza starts prodding at the body beneath her.

"Hey... The rest of your gang should be back soon."

Alicia stirs and her eyes flutter open. She takes a moment, before groggily mumbling back.

"So you want to see my bike?"

Elyza is off the bed in record speed, eagerly pulling Alicia along with her.

The brunette laughs, and quickly changes back into her earlier clothes: shorts and a tank top, with a pink flannel tied around her waist.

She then grabs Elyza's hand, leading her down the two flights of stairs to the garage.

The lights are flicked on, momentarily blinding Elyza.

However, when her eyes finally adjust to make out her surroundings more clearly, she notices a pink children's bicycle a few feet away.

Elyza's mind is suddenly bombarded with a mental image of the Commander of the coalition -full armor and war paint included- riding around on that thing. She bursts into laughter and dares to look Alicia in the eye.

"When I said I had a bike... I meant one that could go faster than a horse and that didn't require physical torment to make it move."

_And maybe a little less pink._

Alicia's smile wavers and she scrunches her nose.

"A motorbike? You need to be more specific next time."

Sensing the disappointment in her voice, Elyza tries to save the situation.

"Your bike is cute though."

"I'm not _cute_."

"Yes you are, Liwwle 'Licia, with your pink bicycle."

Elyza uses both her hands to pinch Alicia's cheeks, which is not at all appreciated.

Alicia grouchily stomps back up the stairs to the living room, to where Chris is sitting on the couch eating out of what probably is the last bag of chips on Earth.

Elyza is in tow, and plops onto the couch, promptly snatching the bag of chips from his grasp.

Before Chris can scold Elyza, Alicia's voice is bellowing, while she paces back and forth with her hands behind her back.

"I am the Commander of the Thirteen clans. How dare you wound me with such false accusations?"

Chris blinks a few times, and mouths at Elyza.

"What did you do?"

She simply shrugs.

"Nothing major. Called her cute."

Alicia continues her speech, walking away from the couch.

"Nations have bowed before me. Kings and queens have trembled at the mere sound of my voice. I am by no means 'cute'."

On the contrary. Elyza thinks Alicia, referencing her former position, is _incredibly_ cute. She internally smirks.

"Hey, Alicia! Can I tell you a secret?"

Alicia spins around, looking directly at Elyza.

This leads her to see that despite the coldness in tone, there is a playful sparkle in Alicia's green eyes.

"Speak, Elyza."

She wants to see how far she can go before Alicia drops the act.

"I thought you were cute back then, too..."

Alicia is caught off guard by the admission, but she easily recovers and counters the statement.

"Well, I'm not cute. You can take your bullshit over to Chris' room, because you're forcing me to disown you as my guest."

All Elyza does is smile at the denial. It's a fond smile, and Alicia suddenly feels vulnerable under her gaze. She hesitates before asking her question.

"When did it start?"

"When you told me you couldn't leave me to die, because you cared about me."

Elyza's look of sincerity is soon replaced with a sly smirk.

"And I might just heed your advice and move in with Chris. You wouldn't mind, right, honey?"

The seduction in her voice is evident, but just for good measure she rests her head on the boy's shoulder.

She then chances a glance at Alicia, who is seething. Clearly, the teasing has worked.

_Time to fall back._

"Whoops, Chris. I think I'd better go before she kills me with her 'cuteness'."

Elyza laughingly takes off towards the staircase, followed by Alicia, leaving Chris to wonder what the hell just went down.  
____

It's no use. Elyza is much faster and manages to get back into the bedroom. She locked the door behind her, which is why Alicia is now banging on said door.

"Elyza, let me in!!"

"Never."

"I swear, if you don't open up right now..."

No answer.

After what feels like an eternity, Alicia has altogether decided to kick down the damn door.

When she takes a step back to do so, she's suddenly being lifted off the floor from behind. All she can do is let out a blood-curdling scream.

And then the attacker is laughing a carefree, raspy laugh. Alicia finds herself standing on level ground again, and tears her head towards the sound.

"Elyza, you bitch!! This is the apocalypse, and I could have just died on the spot from cardiac arrest. Now how ironic would that be?"

"You're so dramatic..." Elyza drawls.

The girls hear a pair of footsteps running up and skidding to a halt at the top of the staircase.

"What's all the commotion?"

A wide-eyes Chris is now standing in the hallway, brandishing a gun.

Elyza pays the weapon no attention and is grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Drop the gun, kiddo. The Commander just nearly shat her pants, because I snuck up on her."

She turns to an angry Alicia.

"And you can open the door now, Cupcake. I kind of want to do something useful. Maybe clean the Walker guts off my boots."

"It's locked."

"No shit, can't you unlock it?"

Alicia rolls her eyes.

"Technically, this isn't our house, and we don't have the keys to all the bedrooms. If I could have unlocked it, you'd be _dead_ by now, smartass."

This leads to a loud groan on Elyza's part, and she smacks her own forehead.

"Give me a minute while I go float myself..."

"Can I film it?"

Chris' question startles Elyza. Firstly because she forgot about his presence, but mainly because she doesn't really know what to make of the question.

"Film what?"

"You _floating_ yourself."

Elyza furrows her brows.

"That's quite rude, don't you think? Why would you want to film it?"

He scratches the back of his neck, not exactly knowing why someone would take offense to his simple request.

"Oh. It's just that I've never seen anyone use jetpacks before, or any of the like. I like documenting interesting stuff with my camera."

Elyza turns to look at Alicia, who's now as red as a tomato, attempting to hold in her laughter. The expression on Elyza's face causes her to fail terribly.

_A long, long time ago Clarke, in a moment of pure rage, had once told her she could go 'float herself'._

_Days after the fact, the Sky girl had explained the meaning to her, when she asked how bobbing around in a body of water was supposed to be an insult._

Leaning against her room door and sliding down until her behind hits the wooden floor, Alicia can barely catch her breath, before choking out a response in between giggles.

"Oh my God, Chris. She's not going to literally fly up to my window."

Elyza now gets Chris' confusion, and Alicia's amusement. The kid hasn't got a clue.

In his defense, nobody else would understand it either. Elyza honestly didn't mean to confuse him, but the words just left her mouth before she'd given it a second thought.

"Then what does it mean?"

The blonde waves her arm dismissively. It'll be too much of a hassle to explain it to him properly. Also, he wouldn't believe her. 

"That's not for kids' ears. Maybe I'll tell you another time."

"I bet _you're_ not even 18."

She ponders this for a moment.

"I'm not, but I've been on my own for a while now, so I'm practically an adult."

Puffing out her chest for emphasis unknowingly makes Chris turn the same crimson shade as Alicia. But for reasons other than laughing.

He completely forgets the current topic of discussion and starts rambling.

"Uh, yeah. Sure. Maybe I can- when the rest gets back, I can ask if there's a ladder somewhere around?"

"I'd appreciate that."

After he scurries away, Elyza gives the girl on the floor a pointed look.

"You suck."

"Says the one who locked me out of my own room"

"You still love me though."

"Maybe."

Elyza holds out her hands to pull Alicia to her feet; help she graciously accepts.

She then uses the element of surprise to spin the blonde around and pin her to the door.

"How did you get out of my room anyway?"

Elyza isn't in the least bit fazed, instead flashing a winning smile.

"Jumped out of your window."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm currently in the process of writing the next chapter. Expect more plot and more Walker guts.


	5. Plans and Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang make plans to pick up Elyza's things, and Alicia carries out her own plans.  
>  _Enter Chris Manawa_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'm back! Sorry for the wait. I know I promised plot and walker guts, so they're coming right up in the next chapter. Really, they are. :)
> 
> This is mostly me trying to be deep and failing terribly.

In the end, Elyza manages to climb back into Alicia's room window via the roof. By the time the rest get back from the supply run, there is no evidence of the girls' earlier shenanigans. 

After unpacking the loot the little family starts to engage in conversation, over a minimalist lunch consisting of canned vegetables and beans. Perishables have long been non-existent, but Elyza is more than happy with any type of food right now.

Chris is the first one to eagerly start interrogating the new addition to the team.

"So where have you been staying since this whole thing started?"

"I've been moving around a lot. Can't be in the same place for too long. A few weeks ago I found a nice house. It's a couple of blocks away from here, and the backup generator is still working. I've managed to accumulate a motherload's worth of supplies, that I'll be more than willing to share with you guys."

While mentioning the last bit, Elyza looks at Travis, as he seems to be the one with the most authority here.

Before he can respond, Madison has opened her mouth to voice her usual skepticism.

"Why are you helping us?"

Elyza saw the question coming from a mile away, but that does nothing to lessen her irritation.

"I have some heavy weapons, but I didn't think a short supply run would nearly result in my demise. If it weren't for Alicia, my only worry right now would be where I could find some flesh to bite."

Madison's disbelieving expression stays in place until Elyza mumbles something that's much closer to the actual reason she wants to stay.

"And I've been alone for long enough."

This somewhat thaws the older woman, and her motherly instincts take over before she can stop them.

"What about your parents?"

Elyza's face remains neutral, but Alicia is already slinking her hand underneath the dining table to rest it on the girl's thigh, giving it a squeeze. 

"Let's say I haven't seen them in a long time."

That signals the end of the meal, everyone quickly getting up to clear the dishes and avoid further awkwardness.

Alicia watches Travis speak to Elyza, before she disappears for a few minutes, coming back with her backpack. She pulls out a town map, carefully laying in on the empty dining table. It's full of numbers, encircled with red and blue marker.

"The red ones are the numbers of buildings or houses I've cleared. The blue means I've stayed there and cleared them too. This here is the house I currently have my supplies in."

Elyza grabs a blue marker from the front compartment of her bag, placing the cap between her teeth. She circles a new area along a street ten minutes away from the current residence, scribbling down a number in it.

Travis takes a long look at the map, and then at the two girls.

"We can go tomorrow. How many people do you think we'll need?"

Elyza grins.

"The more people, the faster we can move everything. I think your truck will come in handy for that."

They don't realize Madison has sat back down and followed the whole exchange. She clears her throat.

"That's settled then. We're all going."

The remainder of the afternoon is spent preparing backpacks for the small trip.  
Everyone retreats to their bedrooms early to rest up.

But Alicia has other ideas. Once she and Elyza are back in their room, she closes the door behind her and draws the curtains to prevent the last bit of light from falling through the window.

She then quickly moves over to the nightstand to light a few candles.

Elyza confusedly sits down on the bed.

"What are you doing?"

Instead of answering her, Alicia launches herself at the girl, connecting their lips in a searing kiss.

She wanted to wait until her family was less hostile towards Elyza's presence before doing something like this, but when does anything work out the way you want it to, anyway? She waited the last time, and look what that got her.

Elyza is quick to catch on, and even quicker to dispose of both their clothes.

She pushes Alicia down onto the bed, taking her time to explore every inch of skin. Alicia is a rapidly breathing mess under her touch, and it is addictive.

Elyza wants to trace her tongue over bumps and creases, relearning all of Alicia's quirks and sweet spots.

She wants to capture the full, quivering lips, and frame them in her mind.

Heck, Elyza would want to paint the whole scene, even though she's sure Alicia's beauty transcends any attempt she could possibly make.

Since Elyza is only human, and can't do all of that at one go, she settles her mouth on the girl's exposed neck.

Her hand is tracing down the brunette's stomach, going lower and lower, before hesitantly stopping. She lifts her lips from Alicia to guarantee her words are distinguishable.

"You sure about this?"

Alicia wants to scream. _I've always been sure._ Her actions are far beyond her control though, and her usual eloquence has been reduced to a squeaky mono-syllabic exclamation.

"Yeah..."

Elyza smiles against Alicia's neck, complying with her own desire.

It's not too long before Alicia is muffling a scream by pulling a pillow over her face, forcefully biting down. She thinks she's seeing stars, and it takes her a full few minutes to throw the pillow to the side and somewhat force herself to breathe.

Elyza is clearly proud of the result of her ministrations and presses a lingering kiss to Alicia's lips.

Before she knows it, she's being flipped onto her back. She looks up to find a wicked grin on Alicia's face.

"Your turn."

That's the last of Alicia's grin she sees for the next ten minutes. The girl is doing all sorts of things to her down there, that would cause Madison Clark to snap her neck, if she ever found out.

It's Elyza's turn to suppress her screams, while the brunette firmly holds her thighs in place.

Her efforts aren't wholly successful when a loud moan tumbles past her lips and into the room.

She feels a little chuckle from the brunette tickling her core, reverberating throughout her entire body. She revises her earlier thoughts and goofily smiles. Even if Madison were to walk in right this instant, it'd be worth it.  
____

Elyza absently rubs her thumb over a spot on Alicia's forearm, grateful for the lack of lighting. The candles have long been blown out.

"Why'd you get the tattoo?"

She can feel the body under her tense up at the mention of the spirally heart. Elyza has a hunch, but wants it confirmed.

"Matt drew that. He was my boyfriend."

_Oh._

"Did you love him?", she asks before catching herself, "I'm sorry, I have no right-"

Alicia smiles. If there is anyone she wants to tell, it's Elyza.

"No, it's okay. I did care about him. He was bitten, and he told me to leave, so I did. It happened before this whole shitstorm started. I didn't know he would turn, and afterwards I felt bad he died without anyone around. It's why I tattooed his drawing as a reminder."

"I'm sorry, Alicia. I really am. It must've really sucked."

There's a slight pause before she continues.

"But you were the one who told me to stop worrying about things you can't change. What happened isn't your fault... I could finish the tattoo for you though, if you'd like?"

Alicia expected Elyza to harden after learning about her then-boyfriend, but she notices there's absolutely no anger or upset in her voice. She is even offering to finish his drawing.

_No, that doesn't feel right._

"Actually, could you design something else for it?"

"Why would you want to cover it up?" Elyza is genuinely surprised.

"Like you said, it's time to put that behind me. Besides, I know you're a great artist. So I'm sure you would have some ideas."

Elyza continues tracing her thumb over the messy heart on Alicia's skin. She smiles at the fact that Alicia still remembers her passion for drawing.

"I think you know how much I liked your back tattoo. The seven circles. The symbolism of it all still amazes me. And the missing circle... I know it was Luna. She was Heda when I died."

Alicia's own heart is beating in her throat by now, and she has to resist the urge to gag. She didn't anticipate that.

Alicia actually doesn't want to know, but she can't keep herself from asking.

"How...?"

It stings to think about all that again, but Alicia shared personal things with her, so there's no reason Elyza shouldn't.

"Luna becoming Commander is a whole new story I won't bother you with now, but under her we finally had peace. I realized that peace meant nothing to me anymore, because the person I wanted to share it with was gone. I tried to find happiness again, because you would have wanted that, but it wasn't possible. You're irreplaceable."

Alicia is sniffling, burying her face in Elyza's hair. It's all too much information to take in right now. It doesn't feel real. 

Somewhere in the dark recesses of her mind, she's expecting Elyza to suddenly disappear, leaving her all alone again.

"I want you to know... what Matt and I had, it wasn't like this. Not like us."

She stops to calm herself, before continuing in a confident whisper, wanting to erase any misconceptions about their current position.

"Even if he was still here, I'd never choose him over you. You're irreplaceable to me too."

Elyza's heart painfully clenches at the thought, but it's a liberating kind of pain.

"It's okay, Alicia. I'm just happy you're here with me now."

Her voice breaks at the same time her tears start falling. Elyza can't believe that after so long, they're finally having this conversation.

She gently pokes Alicia in the ribs, lifting her head while doing so.

"Why does sex always end up in tears for us?"

Alicia's head snaps up to face the blonde. She can't see more than the outline of Elyza's features, but it doesn't stop the corners of her mouth from lifting into a small smirk.

"Well, why do you always have to ask such deep questions after sex?"

The tears dry, and the two lie in comfortable silence. Elyza is about to drift off, when Alicia suddenly speaks into the darkness. Her voice has turned uncharacteristically uncertain.

"Promise I won't wake up to an empty bed?" _Not like last time._

Elyza is hit with a pang of guilt. She eagerly promises.

And as she feels warm arms snake around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer, she knows it's a promise she'll keep.  
____

The deal was for everyone to be dressed and ready to go by 9 am. The clock on the wall displays the current time at 9.30 am. Which is why Madison is angrily pacing around: Elyza and Alicia aren't down yet.

"Chris, Nick, would you go up to see what's taking them so long?"

The boys grunt their consent and reluctantly make their way up the stairs, stopping in front of Alicia's room. Chris knocks on the door a few times.

When there's no answer, he turns to look at Nick, who just shrugs his shoulders. He knows how much his sister values her privacy, so he looks away when Chris opens the door to step into the room.

Once in, Chris immediately looks at the bed and is horror stricken with the sight before him. This was the last thing he had expected when walking in.

Alicia is fast asleep, facing away from the door. The white sheets lie loosely around her waist, baring her whole back. Elyza's arm is lazily draped around her, and Chris moves his gaze to find out the blonde girl is equally naked, and pressed up against his would-be stepsister.

Around the bed, the floor is a mess of clothes and undergarments .

When Chris finally starts regaining control over his senses, he panics.

"What the fuck?!"

Elyza is the first to stir awake at the outcry, instinctively pulling the sheets over Alicia, who wakes up soon after.

Alicia cranes her neck towards the door, sitting and pulling up the sheets to cover herself. She is livid.

"Get. Out."

Chris is stumbling out the door and slamming it closed, forgetting all about Nick in his stupor.

"I get they didn't appreciate you waking them?"

Before Chris can answer, the room door flies open, an angry Alicia stomping out. She has pulled on her clothes from the previous day and fixed her hair in a messy bun.

"What did you think you were doing, Chris?! You can't just barge into my room without permission!"

"I could ask the same of you! You barely even know Blondie, and you're already screwing her."

"You" Alicia grits out, poking an accusing finger into Chris' chest, "have no right to dictate to me how long I have to know someone before sleeping with them. You are completely clueless."

Alicia breaks to breathe in and out a few times, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"And if you ever tell anyone about this, I'll have your head. Now go let my mom know we'll be down in ten."

Chris scowls, but is quick to oblige when he sees the murderous look Alicia is giving him. He doesn't doubt she'll back up her threat, so he leaves her standing in the hall to speak to Nick. 

"Are you going to criticize me too?"

Nick stares at his little sister, a surprised, yet amused expression gracing his features.

"You like her?"

Alicia relaxes a bit, her features softening while she thinks of the girl in question. 'Like' has to be the understatement of the year, when it comes to her feelings for the blonde.

"It's so much more than that, Nick."

"Then I have nothing to say to it."

She lets out an audible sigh. This was not how she pictured her family to find out about her and Elyza, but at least she can count on her brother for support. Which is extremely ironic, since it usually is the other way around.

Nick, unaware of Alicia's inner monologue, ponders something else. 

"And I really need some tips from Elyza on how to get a girl, though. I know you're not that easy."

A chuckle can be heard from behind, and the two siblings immediately turn towards the sound. Elyza is leaning on the doorpost.

The blonde's hair is damp from a quick shower, and she has changed into a fresh pair of Alicia's jeans. She's left her black leather jacket unzipped to reveal yet another of Alicia's flannels.

Her feet are back in her trusty combat boots, and the clothing choice has Alicia blinking away conflicted feelings of seeing the mixture of Clarke and Elyza in front of her. 

Elyza lazily pushes herself off the door to join Nick and Alicia. She smiles brightly at him.

"The key word is 'shampoo', Nicky. Long, clean hair will get you places." Elyza mentally pats herself on the back for the double entendre.

She then looks at Alicia, trying to school her features.

"You should go get dressed, I think your family has been waiting long enough."

Alicia frowns and shoves the blonde playfully.

"Now who's fault is that?"

Elyza shrugs. "Yours."

"I beg to differ."

"You were begging for something else last night, Leashy-Loo."

Elyza walks off with a smug smirk to join the rest of Alicia's family downstairs, paying no attention to Alicia's weakly spluttered objection at the statement.

Nick is trying to stifle his laughter, which earns him a whack on the shoulder. He ends up having to choke out his verdict to his sister.

"Let's keep her. I think she has more bite than you, sis."

Alicia rolls her eyes. Elyza isn't a pet, for crying out loud.

She reminisces about the very first time she saw those blue eyes and wants to tell Nick he has no idea how much bite Elyza has. No idea at all. 

Alicia eventually settles with a sigh. 

"She does."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cringe* Feedback is welcome. And thanks for reading of course!


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